


As We Once Were

by Moonfireflight, Zifeara



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, M/M, Major Story Spoilers, POV Alternating, Pre-Final Days, The Convocation of Fourteen (Final Fantasy XIV), ascians - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:14:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28076796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonfireflight/pseuds/Moonfireflight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zifeara/pseuds/Zifeara
Summary: Life in Amaurot is good, as it has always been. Azem holds the 14th seat of the Convocation and sort of does his job, though he spends much more time with his chaotic group of friends than at boring meetings. As with all good things, the peace is coming to an end. Mysterious happenings outside their comfortable home prompts an under the table investigation that provides chilling revelations. Something bad is coming, but can it be stopped?The fic takes place before the Final Days of Amaurot (as depicted in the dungeon of the same name in-game) and DOES CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS. It is based heavily on the lore available to us and our own original characters.
Relationships: Azem/Original Character (sort of), Original Female Character/Lahabrea
Kudos: 1





	As We Once Were

**Author's Note:**

> From Zifeara: Hello! I wanted to do something Azem/Ascian based for a little while now, but didn't quite know where to start or what it would be about. Luckily, when I brought it up to Moonie, she already had some ideas of some things she didn't have a place for and it snowballed from there. Massively. We wrote this entire first chapter in a day and it was a blast! This fic will have an ending and it... won't be happy for the most part.
> 
> From Moonie: What, me reworking my WoL's backstory yet again? But I recently had a dream about an event just before the Final Days, and after chatting with Z about it, we discovered we had surprisingly compatible brainworms and this happened! I hope you enjoy reading it even half as much as we're enjoying writing it!

_Tick._

Time is relative.

_Tock._

We live lifetimes in moments.

_Tick._

Some seconds, the important ones, stretch for an eternity. 

_Tock._

For all the time we have...

_Tick._

It is never enough to forget the loss.

**_Tock._ **

***

As always, the fourteenth seat remains suspiciously empty. He's never where he needs to be when he's expected. Despite his fated return to civilization this particular sunny morning, it was well into late afternoon before the irritable Convocation at last heard a stirring from the main hall. It was sure to be some excuse -a beast, getting lost as Azem often did, some other shenanigans that it would be difficult to prove true- yet it was forever impossible to fully condemn their least attentive member. He wasn't deemed 'the Traveler' for his punctuality. 

The large double doors parted and as always, Azem offered no haste in his stride to the table. The sack slung over his shoulder was a familiar one, full of what wouldn't be incorrect to label as bribery. The baubles and trinkets from the outside world were trivial and benign, though perfectly suited for each member and sufficient to dispel the ire he was sure to have accrued. Thankfully, today was one that a more level-headed member could speak before Nabriales opened his mouth. 

“Ah, our bold traveler arrives at last. Just as we were about to wrap things up for the day, of course. I expect you have your official report compiled and ready for presentation?” A few of the others snorted or laughed politely at Emet-Selch’s words, as all present knew that exactly no one expected any such thing.

The man smirked behind his feline mask. "I most certainly would had I found anything of importance. I would so hate to waste the time of the Convocation with such banal tales of battles with overlarge beasts or meals enjoyed with fellow lost souls." He hefted his bag straight up onto the meeting table, simultaneously pulling the string that held it shut. "Wouldn't you much rather see what I brought you?"

A few of the robed figures made as if to stand, but a harsh voice interjected, halting anyone who’d nearly given into Azem’s excitement. “We’d received rumor of such a ‘beast’. From whence did this creature come? I’ve never heard of such a thing. A ‘sea serpent’ fifty yalms from tail to snout, they’d said? Really, now.” 

“Come now, Mitron,” replied a smooth voice with a lilt of barely contained humor. “Are you sure it wasn’t something you created in your youth and released to the embrace of the sea, hoping no one was the wiser?” The quiet of the chamber only amplified any attempts at stifling laughter.

Mitron’s back stiffened at Loghrif’s teasing, but before he could reply another cut in. “While that may be the case - oh hush, Mitron, we’re only jesting - you cannot deny that our intrepid Traveler has been encountering more irritable creatures of late.” 

“Are you sure that is not because he goes looking for them?” The cool, feminine voice belied the smile nearly hidden by the large lower point of this speaker’s mask. ”Why do you not call upon us for such things?”

Shrugging, Azem adopted the blasé faire attitude common to him. "Maybe I would should I be properly challenged. Serpents have the unique weakness of not having enough limbs to threaten me with. Easy to keep track of only one tail."

Igeyorhm leaned in further, intending to pry more of Azem’s tale from him. Out of all the Convocation, her preference for the combat applications of creation magic and interest in putting such things to the test was second only to Azem’s. “But unless the rumors are nothing more than exaggeration, that creature was the size of a small building. How did you slay the thing?” It was clear that even if she couldn’t have been there, she’d hoped some of her inventions had at least come in handy. 

The Traveler's smile turned wry. "The other weakness of serpents? Eyes. You know my specialty- I was well suited for the foe."

It was far more uncommon to see Azem without his bow than with it. The variety of arrows that could be summoned on the fly dependent on the adversary lent the weapon a versatility the man favored. 

With a satisfied nod, Igeyorhm leaned back in her chair again. She would have to bother him later for the bloody details of his adventure. 

"Now," Azem started, "are you stuffy bastards going to get your presents or not? I'm happy to take them back."

Even the most serious and grumbling among them couldn’t resist the lure of surprises from far off, even after having gone through this routine many times in the past. The shortest and most eager of the group got to him first, just shy of pushing one of his peers out of the way in his excitement. Elidibus always looked forward to this part of Azem’s return, imagining what treats and baubles were hidden in his pack and the stories that would accompany them. He treasured every one of them, and dearly wished he could join him on adventures one day. If there were monsters roaming the land, there were people in need of protecting. Though he threw himself into his work, he still wanted to do more for those people he’d yet to meet beyond the shores of their island nation. 

The youngest of them coming forward opened the floodgates and soon, each member was sifting through the pile to find the gift addressed to them. The perfect distraction. If he moved slowly enough… Azem casually backed away, step by step, unnoticed by all but one who hung back from the group. Emet-Selch rolled his eyes behind his mask as he watched the Traveler make his escape. Wise as he was to Azem's nonsense, he never seemed to be in trouble for it. Another meeting avoided. Now he could get back to what he cared about.

Anyone employed by the Convocation to keep the building running would think Azem a ghost rather than a member of the highest order. He spent less time in this structure than anyone else that worked there. Instead, he spent a majority of his time at home in the Academia Libri as of late. Certainly not to read; Amaurot's largest repository of books held something of far more importance. 

Weaving around regular patrons entering the grandiose library, he tried his best not to be seen. Escaping the notice of those overeager to see him was an art. Peeking around displays and darting between shelves got him right up to the front counter and it had gone perfectly to plan. He absolutely was not supposed to have ducked under the little divider to get behind it, but who was going to stop him? His favorite game was standing _just_ behind the agitated archivist and moving in such a way that no matter where he turned, he wouldn't be seen. 

"For fuck's sake- Azem, I can feel you there!" 

His fun was always over too soon. He knew if the man turned around, it'd be to smack him, but he had a way of redirecting that energy. They did this a lot. Azem laid his hands on the shorter man's hips, making a wall of the rest of his body to hide more than anything. "Miss me, gorgeous?"

The frustrated growl he received was also to be expected. "Right up until you got here, yes. Now I wish you'd go away again."

He laughed loudly, well aware they danced this same dance each time. It didn't help that he was disrupting working hours for his boyfriend. Spinning the redhead around, he dipped down to steal a quick kiss. "Maybe I will, then. Means you won't get your present, though."

Tagiraah had a way of pouting that was too cute for a grown man. It never contained more than a reasonable dose of irritation and an equal amount of reciprocated mischief. "Well, if you ever led with the gift instead of pestering me, maybe I wouldn't be so mad."

He was less than affected by the statement, grinning in that smug way he did. "Tagi, you're never mad at me."

The redhead's eye twitched. "It's a curse. Now what did you bring me?"

"Fine, fine. Close your eyes."

Waiting until his partner had done so, Azem dug in his personal satchel. Presents for friends and loved ones never got lumped in with the Convocation's payoffs. Opening the small box he produced, Azem turned it around and placed it in his boyfriend's hands. The soft gasp that left him was well worth the effort of acquiring the offering. The pearlescent earrings came in the shape of a single star each, made by a people all the way on the other side of the world but brought within reach. They were unique for an Amaurotine and Azem was willing to bet anyone Tagiraah saw for the next week would be jealous. Some moreso than others. Speaking of others-

Blue eyes peered out over the edge of the large tome in her hands. With the book hiding her grin, she could still pretend she was irritated by her noisome friend. “Only just back and you’re already disturbing the peace. Don’t you know that the library is sacred space? Take your antics elsewhere you pest. Preferably to one of your rooms.” 

There was no less amusement in Azem's reply. "You're just mad this was not my first stop. I have a job to do you know, despite how little time I spend caring about it. I can't throw your souvenir."

The woman sighed from behind her tome and shook her head. She made a great show of putting a bookmark in place and setting down her reading material before leaving the comfortable chair she’d been ensconced in. Making her way to the counter, she continued her teasing tirade. “Really, I know that meeting was scheduled to drag on for at least another hour. I was sure I could at least finish this book…”

Rolling his eyes, Azem extended his arm over the barrier so that his friend nearly ran into the small satchel he was holding out to shut her up. "I'm plenty late as it stands. Rest assured though," he said as he forcibly turned Tagiraah around in front of him, " _someone_ is leaving early, so wish granted."

Hymeria’s feigned irritation fell away at once as she snatched the present from her friend’s hands. “Obviously, the best possible gift is you returning home safely. But, that doesn’t mean I’m going to wait until you’ve told me about your trip before I open this.” 

She tuned out the redhead's sputtered protests as he was removed from his post to unwrap her trinket. Inside was an intricately faceted crystal, brimming with an unfamiliar mix of magics and etched with strange runes. Holding it up to the light, she peered within its depths, fascinated by the ebb and flow of aether. “This is amazing, Azem! I can’t wait to study it further. But, what is it, exactly?” 

Still having an argument about how much closer to the exit they were getting, Azem wasn’t looking at her. "Hell if I know. That's not my problem now."

With a laugh, Hymeria dropped it into one of the many pockets she’d added to her robes. “Well, I’m reasonably sure it's not going to explode or turn me into a squid or somesuch, so I’m satisfied with that. Thank you.”

They had at least two more stops to make before everyone could go about their business, though it was always a toss up for if they could find their final friend. She never sat still for long. The much more predictable choice, however, more often than not found them. Sure as sunshine, not a dozen steps from the main entrance, a figure leaned innocently against the wall. 

Azem sighed fondly. "Hi Hyth."

The man smiled faintly. "Have I truly become so predictable?"

A resigned huff from Tagiraah since he clearly was not allowed to finish his shift anymore. "Become? Hythlodaeus, you know before Azem himself does when he's returned. Your impatience is legendary."

With a noncommittal wave of his hand, Hyth ignored the comment for more pressing matters. "Escaped both the meeting and the obligation of finding someone to adopt responsibility for your partner I see."

Though the redhead was ready to further protest, Azem spoke over him. "If I hand over what I brought you, what are the odds you'll lie about knowing where I went?"

Even behind his simple mask, the twinkle in Hyth's eye was clear. "Ignore your path of destruction you mean? High. _If_ you tell me when we're having dinner to properly recount the latest adventure."

Digging a small bag out and tossing it towards their companion, Azem smirked. "Tomorrow, probably. Seen Hiraeth lately?"

“Not if you count her ‘helping’ me in the lab yesterday,” huffed Hymeria. “Who’s ever heard of a reptile with _fur_?! We’re just lucky that she didn’t give it wings when I wasn’t looking or I’d still be chasing the thing down.” 

Softly chuckling, Hythlodaeus turned to make himself scarce since someone would come asking about his band of disaster beings. "If I recall correctly, she's still in trouble. Likely relegated to skimming the fountains. Again."

“Good. And I didn’t even mention the way she designed its jaw.” Hymeria pretended to shiver in horror. “ _I_ was aiming for fierce, not nightmarish. _She_ called it cuddly.” 

Azem and Tagiraah both leveled a glance at her; they didn't know what their friend had been expecting. Hiraeth was known for her abstract, often unsuccessful ideas. Not many could say they held a record for proposal rejections like she could. They both silently and simultaneously decided to glaze over the obvious comments. Instead, they started walking as they'd have a lot of ground to cover; there were many fountains in Amaurot and their luck was fickle at best. This could take minutes or an hour. 

Their singular friend was not hard to miss, but her work ethic was based entirely on how spiteful she was feeling that day, meaning she could be any varying degrees of done with her punishment. Luckily, Hiraeth was dragging her feet. She was slowly and indignantly running a small net through the bubbling water of the fountain, bent too far over to accomplish the task. For a full grown Amaurotine, she was tiny. One would mistake her for a child until she opened her mouth. Her dark hair hung in long strands, each carefully braided to keep them contained and out of her way. She didn't acknowledge them as they approached, so they'd have to make their presence known.

"Good news, time to ditch work."

Azem swore the girl threw the skimmer. She was at his feet in seconds, peering up with that chaos-causing smile of hers, well aware she truly did have a get-out-of-jail-free card, as it were. "Finally! What took you so long? You were supposed to be here this morning."

He shrugged, reaching into his bag for the last of his gifts before it could be demanded of him. "Same thing that usually happens; took a wrong turn early on and it cost me time."

Even as their small friend tore open her present, Tagiraah rolled his eyes fondly. "I don't understand how you could be chosen as the Traveler and yet have an inability to correctly interpret a map."

“Come now,” chuckled Hymera. “Nothing truly interesting can be found by sticking only to those areas already well charted. Perhaps it is his knack for straying off the beaten path that makes him so valuable. So long as we get him back, anyway.”

"Hmm, I suppose." The redhead regarded him with what he could only call 'begrudging adoration'. They may have had a moment were they not interrupted by Hiraeth's screech of excitement. 

Of all the things their friend loved, stuffed animals of odd creatures she'd never seen before topped the list of favored offerings. Her deep blue eyes lit up as she turned the thing over and over, attempting to identify its various parts as something familiar that they could be used for future misadventures. The abomination was eerily reminiscent of the most recent beast she'd been in trouble for; scraggly body, too furry, unsettling face and teeth and feet- everything about it was vaguely incorrect.

"I love it. What is it," she asked.

Hymeria leaned over to get a better look at the plush creature and scrunched up her nose. “How…? It’s somehow almost as appalling as your hairy two-faced lizard-thing! I’m not sure if I’m impressed or distressed.” 

"I dunno," Azem started, "I actually thought it was kinda neat. I saw a real one and they're way cooler, but the stuffed version is close. It's called an Angada."

Clutching the thing protectively, Hiraeth frowned up at Hymeria. “Oh, so when _he_ does it they’re ‘ _gorgeous’_ but when I do it, it’s ‘kill it with fire!’” 

“I’ve never said such a thing. Out loud, anyway. And if you’re referring to the pegasus, _it_ doesn’t try to eat people.” Lest her words be taken as an actual insult, Hymeria stuck her tongue out at her friend and wrinkled her brow. 

Tagiraah leaned into Azem's side, settling in for his favorite pastime. "Oh no, I do believe your preferred adjectives for Lahabrea are 'genius, stunning, radiant, and s-'

Making a sound similar to the utterance of the redhead's name but far too flustered to put the correct syllables together, Hymeria aimed a clumsy slap at his shoulder.

Azem moved them just in time to avoid it, relishing the chance to be on this side of the fence for once. "Quite right, dearest. Though I believe the word you were looking for was 'sexy'. I think I've heard that one a time or two. Or ten."

Having missed horribly and with her cheeks burning, Hymeria hid her face.“ _I know where you all sleep_ ,” she managed through her embarrassed laugher. 

"Well yeah, when two of you sleep together, it isn't hard." Hiraeth was used to making distracted remarks, often missing any accidental context she may be putting into her words. 

Well, she would miss it were it not for Azem's inability to suppress his snickering. "Much to the contrary-"

"Azem!" the redhead hissed.

While used to this by now, there was always more room for embarrassment. "Oh come on, I couldn't _not_."

They resumed their journey to someone's space -no one cared whose until they got there- to hide away from responsibility and spend time together, indulging in a new tale of exploration. Obligations were now for another day.

***

The scratching of a pen against parchment filled Elidibus’ sparse and quiet office. He could have waited until later to write up the meeting minutes, but with Azem’s gift sitting on his desk before him, he wanted to get everything down while it was still fresh in his mind. 

The irony of Lahabrea being the one to tell him not to overwork himself was not lost on anyone, but it was still advice he should be taking to heart. Yet, as the newest member of the Convocation, he was determined to prove himself as worthy as the rest. No one disparaged his contributions or expected more of him than he gave, but knowing the histories and resumes of his peers still left him feeling like he needed to work as hard as he could to catch up. 

Elidibus set his pen down carefully on its stand, and let himself take a moment to finally appreciate the magical bauble Azem had brought for him. He took the glass sphere into his hands, gazing at the miniature sky it portrayed. A gently glowing sun shone within a crystalline blue sky, reflecting the beautiful sunny day outside. His office lacked windows, but this more than made up for it. The hastily scrawled note that accompanied the thing explained that it would show a vision of the weather in the region. He supposed most would find it useless as a quick glance outside would show the same, but he thought it was perfect. 

With it safely back on its stand, Elidibus turned to the stack of paper next to him and contemplated what to work on next. He had several reports to go through from the men he’d met with this week. Periodically, representatives from the nearby cities would visit Amaurot to go over any problems they needed help with and give a general update on their status. It was an archaic system as there were any number of other ways to send such a message, but it was a time honored tradition, and his primary job as Emissary. 

In reality, the reports amounted to nothing, for true problems were rare. Even cities several days away benefited from the creation magics of Amaurot and there was never a danger of scarcity, starvation, or anything of the like. 

There was one issue though, he thought as he shuffled the reports in his hands once more. One was missing. 

He’d hoped it was just an oversight on his part. Perhaps he’d filed it incorrectly, or lost it entirely. But after checking and rechecking, he had to admit that no one had visited this year from Abraxa. Lying at the furthest reaches of the continent, little was known about Abraxa beyond the unusually succinct reports their representatives issued. He and a few other members of the Convocation had their suspicions about the place, but had yet to come to a decision regarding the matter. It would be easy to design a creation to spy on them and report back, but such a breach of protocol would require getting the entire Assembly involved and putting it to a vote. Going through all that for a bad feeling just wasn’t rational, so nothing had been done about it and the people of Abraxa had been left to their own devices beyond the help Amaurot normally provided. 

This, however. Was worrying. Either they had made a decision to skip out on making their report, which was concerning in its own way, or something had happened. He let his attention wander back to the weather bauble in front of him and the bright blue sky it contained. Something was different about it, though. In the far distance of the scene it displayed, he could just see a hint of grey clouds forming. There’d been nothing in the news about a storm brewing any time soon…

A loud knocking at his door startled him out of his reverie, followed by the voice of his assistant. “Emissary! You have a visitor, and it’s urgent!” 

“Ah, one moment!” Quickly tucking away the pile of reports and running a hand through his hair to make sure he was presentable, the Emissary pushed his chair back, nearly tipping it over in his haste to stand up. There was a level of panic in the man’s voice that instantly put him on edge and he felt a bead of sweat make its way down his scalp. Was he ready for a real emergency? “S-send him in!” He hated how uncertain he sounded, but he’d just have to do his best. 

Seconds later the door was opened and a bedraggled man practically spilled into his office. “Emissary! My… my brother…” The man before him devolved into wordless moaning, clutching his chest and rocking. With a moment to look at him, Elidibus noticed that his hair and clothes were singed. What could have been so important that he would make the trek here without even changing first? 

“Hold on, man! Let me get you a chair. You’re safe here, I swear it.” Elidibus bolted to the other side of his desk, wincing as one corner of it jabbed into his hip. He guided his guest into the chair opposite his and kept hold of his shoulder while he worked at composing himself. Once he was quiet and able to sit up right, Elidibus returned to his normal perch. 

“Let’s start from the beginning. You’re…,” he thought back to the missing report and how he’d discovered it originally. “You’re Lycus, correct?” The man nodded quickly. “Lycus of Abraxa, what has befallen your brother?” 

Lycus looked up at him, eyes wide and panic-stricken, the words pouring from his mouth like a river and giving Elidibus no time to interject. “My brother, our city, they’re _gone_ ! You see, it started some days ago, I don’t even know how long. There was a horrible sound from under the earth, like the star itself was crying out in pain, and it may well have been. We were all terrified but it passed and nothing happened right away, so we gave it no further thought. That is, until the nightmares started. Men and women alike would awaken suddenly, screaming themselves hoarse, tearing at their own skin like they needed to let something out. Then one night, the first of those damned _things_ appeared!” He abruptly stopped speaking, once more wrapping his arms around himself protectively, glancing around as if whatever fear he’d spoken of would suddenly manifest within the room. 

The anxiety that had crept up on Elidibus earlier threatened to overtake him entirely, but he needed to remain calm and learn everything he could. “I know this is difficult, Lycus, but you must tell me the rest. Lives may depend on it!” 

“Lives!? Damn you, everyone I know was either eaten by things of pure nightmare or burned to ash by the meteors that came along with them! Do you know what it’s like to see your family burn alive before your very eyes? Of course you don’t!” Lycus stood up, slamming his hands down on the desk. “They’re all gone and you and the rest of the vaunted Fourteen are up here in your shining towers with nothing more to worry about than bloody paperwork!” With a sweep of his arm, the room was filled with a chaotic storm of once-organized reports. “Why am I even bothering? There’s nothing you can do to bring them back, for all your powers.” 

Lycus slumped back down into his chair, leaving a slack-jawed Elidibus to process what he’d just heard. He pinched the bridge of his nose, resting his elbow on the desk. “You’re right. There’s no way I can imagine what you’ve been through. But I can at least promise your safety, and I swear your story will not die in this room. Byon!” 

His assistant poked his head back into the room nervously. “Yes, Emissary?”

“Find this man a healer and organize a room for him. He’s welcome to stay here as long as he wishes, but he needs care immediately.” 

A moment later, Elidibus was alone again in his office. Though his work was scattered and trampled, the weather bauble had survived Lycus’ understandable wrath. Even from here he could see that the building clouds threatened to overtake the little sun within it. As watching it did nothing to assuage his worries, he stepped out of his now chaotic office into the hallway beyond. 

The relatively sterile space before him felt wrong. Maybe Lycus was right and he and his kin were too far separated from those outside of Amaurot to understand their struggles. Either way, he now had something far more substantial than vague misgivings to build a case for further ventures abroad. But even that would require a vote, and he had a terrible feeling that this wasn’t something that could wait for the glacial pace of bureaucracy. 

He could think of one person who could help, but there was too much to do and he couldn’t waste time trying to track him down. Panic and indecision drove him into picking a random direction and striding down the hallway in the hopes that some answers would come to him. 

And an answer did, at least, in the form of him nearly colliding with one of his peers. “Woah, woah, are you okay? You look like you’re about to fall to pieces, man!” 

Elidibus stumbled back a step, bracing himself against the wall before he processed who he’d stumbled into. “Nabriales! Oh thank goodness. I need your help right away! Can you… ah, I mean, are you busy right now?” Even though they were equals, he still didn’t feel right delegating a task like this with no warning. 

“Spit it out! Now you’ve got me scared too. You don’t have to worry about decorum with me. You know that right?” 

The Emissary took a semblance of a deep breath before continuing, feeling somewhat better with one less thing to think about. “I need to talk to Azem right away. Can you find him for me?” 

Had he been able to see beyond Nabriales’ slitted mask, he would have crumbled under that withering glare. The grimace framed by his crimson fangs was enough, but desperate times and desperate measures and all that. He would have asked someone else if he could have. “Please?” 

The taller man clapped him on the shoulder, probably a little harder than necessary before answering. “Yes. But you owe me.” 

“Yes, yes, you can foist whatever work off on me later. Just do this for me?” 

“I’ll send him back before you know it. But you? Sit.” There was genuine concern in his voice as he steered Elidibus back towards his office. “If he comes back and you aren’t here, it’s all for naught, right?” 

Elidibus nodded and tucked himself away in his office once more. “It might be anyway,” he mumbled. 

***

Generally, members of the Convocation conducted themselves with a measure of grace. In nearly every conceivable way, Azem was the worst member. At this point, no one was surprised anymore. So when he opened the door to his chambers, bleary-eyed and wearing naught but his underwear, it shouldn't have been as bad as it was. At least, it would have only gained an exasperated glare had it not been Nabriales stuck with the task. There was no shock, no confusion, only barely suppressed malice as the man's eyes darted from Azem's bare form to the familiar figure still occupying the bed and hastily clutching blankets to their equally naked skin. 

"Get dressed," Nabriales spat, "something's happened and Elidibus asked for you specifically. This isn't something you can skip out on."

Azem visibly gained some measure of consciousness, though the question out of his mouth was not entirely expected. "Why did he send _you_ to come get me?"

Scowling, Nabriales made a derisive noise. "I was the first one he found to yell at. Plus I know where your boytoy lives in case you were there instead."

Gaining a grain of salt himself, Azem was finally awake. "Do you _have_ to be such a sore loser or do you do it for free?"

The other man narrowed his eyes, obviously biting his tongue. "Hurry up."

He turned on his heel to leave and Azem shut the door. Returning to bed, he offered a weary and apologetic sigh. "You heard the man. I have to go."

They both knew this sort of thing happened, but that didn't mean anyone was happy about it. The muted whimper from his partner attested to that. "But you just got back…"

"I know, I'm sorry, Tagi." Azem pressed a kiss to the top of his lover's head. "I wouldn't go if they were merely asking. I'd always much rather be here with you."

A soft sound of resignation. "Then let _me_ come with _you_. I doubt anyone would contest your request for some manner of documentation next time."

Bringing a hand to Tagiraah's face, Azem smiled, thumbing his partner's quivering lip. "Baby, we've talked about this; it's dangerous out there and you have the combat capabilities of a spoon." He could sense the coming protest despite the truth in his words, so he didn't pause for long. "I can't protect you from everything along the way and should something happen to you, I would be heartbroken to lose my whole world all at once."

The redhead should be used to the way Azem fawned over him, but his cheeks still colored. "You know flattery can't get you everywhere, right?"

Azem's persistent smirk could make him out to be a devil or soften all his features depending on how it was used. "It got me this far."

There we go. Tagiraah rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the embarrassed smile off his own countenance. "Just go!"

Chuckling, Azem quickly pulled on his robes, unconvinced he'd need his full traveling gear no matter how important the meeting. He snagged his mask from the dresser it sat upon before leaning over the smaller man on bed once more. "Hey."

Rolling onto his back, Tagiraah was giving him that _look_ ; he wanted to complain- wanted to beg his lover to stay but knew it was churlish. Pressing matters couldn't alway be avoided simply because one was lonely. 

"I love you."

It was too much. He reached up, pulling Azem down into a deep kiss. He couldn't be mad. He was never mad at Azem. "I love you too."

If he didn't tear himself away from this room, the world could burn down around him and he wouldn't care. Slipping his mask on would at least physically prevent Azem from falling back into his favorite trap. Then it was just one step after another until he was back at work, back under the watchful eye of the only ones who could make him sit through bureaucracy, back in a chair he never felt he filled. 

He tried not to appear as though he were dragging himself through these hallways despite every fiber of his being bemoaning his attendance at such a time. It took some doing to recall which office he was actually looking for considering he'd never been there before, though it was difficult to recall the last time he'd been in this wing at all. He… had an office… right? Shaking his head, he lightly rapped on the door that upon closer inspection, was labeled.

From the other side of the door came a faint sound of harried shuffling. “Azem? I hope that’s you. Please let yourself in.” 

Well, he certainly would have felt like an ass for trying to ignore summons when poor Elidibus sounded as though he were about to burst into tears at any given moment. Cautiously opening the door, Azem didn't know what to expect. It was obvious at a glance that a small disaster had occurred here. The Emissary was holding a stack of papers in each hand. He looked from one to the other before giving a resigned sigh and dropping them both on his desk. 

"You alright, buddy?"

Elidibus shook his head hard enough to rattle his brains. “Not in the least. Someone just brought me dire news, and I need your assistance.” 

Azem put on his friendliest tone to try and assert some level of chill over the situation. "Well things _must_ be dire if Nabriales of all people could be persuaded to speak to me outside business hours."

The silence in the room was deafening. Standing statue-still other than blinking a bit too rapidly, the Emissary slowly realized the mistake he’d made. “Oh... fuck.” 

Azem nearly swallowed his own tongue trying not to laugh directly _at_ his colleague. In the entire time he'd known Elidibus, the young man would rather die than risk being seen in an unprofessional light and that may well have been the only swear word he'd uttered in his lifetime.

“Ah, my deepest apologies!” He held up his hands defensively, eyes wide and petrified. 

"No, no," he choked on his words, "it's fine. I was only caught off guard. Have you ever said that word even once before now? Like at all?" His amusement had to have been clear as day. 

Sighing, Elidibus fell into his chair and slumped forward, arms sprawled on his desk. “No,” he whined, sounding defeated. “But I suppose if there’s a time for that, it’s now. I should explain, and you should sit down for it. But close the door first.” 

Azem was beyond any argument. He did as he was asked and got as comfortable as possible in a chair he hated. 

“Thank you. As I said, I was brought ill tidings today.” Elidibus righted himself, though he still looked like he could topple over at any moment. “Are you familiar with the city of Abraxa?” 

At least this was starting off as something he did have knowledge of as opposed to a topic he was supposed to pay attention to and hadn't. "Yyyes, though I can't say I've spent much time there. For many reasons."

“It’s gone.” 

Alright, now the kid had his attention. "I'm sorry?"

In little more than one breath, Elidibus recounted Lycus’ tale, leaving out only his condemnations of the citizens of Amaurot. With the message passed along, the young man looked even more exhausted. “This needs to be looked into right away on the off chance that whatever happened there could present a danger to anyone else.” He finally met Azem’s eyes, and the pain on his face was as plain as that in his voice. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?” 

The question gave him pause. Truly thinking back, he was uncertain, but it was best to voice concern regardless in case it proved relevant. "Not… on the same scale, no. However," he leaned forward, "isolated incidences have been similar. Each symptom was separate. One town a merchant I would speak with complained his family hadn't been sleeping well. Another town's buildings were under repair from an unexplained fire. Another reported hearing a sound with no cause, but nothing came of it."

“I knew I was right to summon you. You’re the only one who knows what life is like out there, and…,” He glanced behind Azem as if to confirm the door was, in fact, still shut. “You know what will happen if I bring this to the rest of the Convocation right? Not that I don’t plan to tell them, but you understand what I mean.” 

Azem heaved a sigh. "Yeah. Yeah I do. Here's the problem." Elidibus didn't look like he could _handle_ another problem, but this had to be thought through. "The Convocation takes so long to evaluate things because they have responsibilities. They need to determine what we're dealing with, if resources need to be expended- hell, if it's even our mess to deal with."

The younger man seemed to age six decades, withering before him. 

He held his hands up. "I'm not saying I won't help you. I'm saying the process exists because it isn't technically my job to play detective and though I can get away with a lot, people tend to yell at me for breaking certain rules. I am…" Azem rolled words around in his head, "I am the least impressive seat in the entire Convocation. I'm the jackass that runs around getting into trouble but keeping an eye on things out there. If no one has an outside perspective, we get biased. I… have no real power. Over anything."

Brightening somewhat from the glimmer of hope in his chest, Elidibus shook his head. “Least impressive, no. You understand our situation better than most. We’re sheltered here. Lycus… had some harsh opinions about the Convocation and Amaurot in general, but he’s not wrong. He’s been through hell and here? We want for nothing.” He sighed again. “I know you just got home and I wouldn’t ask this of you if I weren’t absolutely sure that, frankly, you’re our only hope.” 

Azem couldn't help it for the second time that day. He made sure to indicate more clearly that he was kidding than he had the first time. "If that's the case, we're fucked." He himself slumped in the chair, rubbing at his eyes. "There are things I need in order to have a chance of finding out anything at all. Again, I'm just a guy- I'm not even close to a scientist, Elidibus."

“Anyone. I’ll get you anyone you need.”

He waved his hand. "Not if you don't want everyone else to know you did everything they taught you not to. The first rule of going behind the Convocation's back is to not tell them you're sneaking behind them. Trust me, I know. What we need to do..."

Is go for broke. Break every rule all at once because let's be honest, they'd be getting close anyway. Rrrrrreally commit to crimes. "Is pick exactly no one they'll miss. Someone who both is and is not an actual scientist. They can be helpful yet fly under the radar and you can just slip in paperwork saying they've been approved for leave from work. I know one of those."

He sat back up in his chair. "I don't know how many times Hymeria has bitched about how cool it is I get to go out and see things I don't even understand. Or care about, honestly. She would kill me herself to go."

That little spark of hope flared into genuine excitement. Hymeria wasn’t the only one who longed to see the things that Azem offhandedly told them of. If he couldn’t go himself, at least he could be a part of the conspiracy. He shouldn’t be so thrilled about it, but he couldn’t help it. “That’s brilliant! She’s spent most of her life studying strange aetheric phenomena and working directly with-” 

Both of them blanched at the same time. They had inadvertently hung a sword on a very thin thread over their plan. The thread was blond, cranky, and nosey. "Lahabrea," they both lamented simultaneously. 

Now past wilting in despair, Azem threw not only his hands, but his whole body up. "Okay, I _might_ be able to convince her that the chance of a lifetime is worth perhaps a white lie to her man. Whatever. We have a second obstacle."

“As if the first wasn’t already impossible?” 

"Fair. But…" Again, he made a rolling motion with his head. " _My_ man. Tagi will _actually_ kill me if I even try to bring her and don't bring him."

Elidibus shrugged. “Then bring him! That’s not even an argument, but… I might as well start penning my resignation letter.”

"Do you think it would have been _hard_ to twist the Convocation's arm to assign me an assistant? Tagiraah is a librarian- expendable by all accounts with my kind of persuasion. I told him he can't come. It can be so dangerous beyond our walls and if this does prove to be a threat… I can't protect all of us. He couldn't defend himself in anything other than an argument."

“I see.” The Emissary nearly folded in half again. “Here I was worrying about how angry and heartbroken Lahabrea would be, and I didn’t even think about your situation. How did everything go so wrong so quickly? Some Emissary I’m turning out to be.” 

Smiling morosely, Azem replaced himself on the edge of Elidibus' desk. "Sometimes we're handed little problems but as soon as the other person lets go, they double in size. I think things have been going wrong for quite some time, but quietly. Secretly. Can this wait maybe a few hours?"

“Of course! Considering the pace at which things normally get addressed here, I had expected weeks of preparation to be necessary.” 

"Okay." He offered a more genuine smile. "Because I need one of two things to happen. Either I need to convince Tagi that his life is worth more to me than his disappointment, or I need to get Hymeria to lie to her husband."

The younger man made a valiant attempt to match the other’s cheer, but he failed miserably. “I can only hope your knack for managing the impossible stays strong with you today. Every word you said there is infinitely more dangerous than any sea serpent could possibly be.” 

"Yeah me too." Azem hopped down. "I'm going to start with Hymeria because if I can get her to say yes, Tagi doesn't have to know where I went at all and by the time he realizes she's gone too and connects things, I'll be too far away to yell at. I'm taking one or the other, though I'd rather have her since it is her actual field."

“Then I wish you all of the luck in separating the inseparable… Wait. Did you say ‘husband’?” 

Winking, Azem backed towards the door. "We have bets on how long it will take. Do me a favor; draft secret paperwork lies for both of them, you'll know which one to put through based on who complains about missing their employee tomorrow. I won't come back to tell you since that would only add another chance of being caught."

Finally, Elidibus let out a laugh, even if it was a fragile thing. “I can do that. There’s no possible way I can thank you enough for doing this. Know it’s not for me, but for all of Amaurot or maybe for the star itself. Be safe, Traveler.” 

Shrugging, Azem set a hand on the knob. "I'll be honest, I get a kick out of doing things I shouldn't, especially if I get to rub it in someone's face later. But hey- they don't appoint the smartest person they can find as Traveler for a reason. Sometimes you have to be wrong to be right, but the first step is to guess."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, if you'd like to come say hi to either Moonie or myself, find us at @Moonfireflight or @ZifearasHoard respectively on Twitter! We love talking to readers!


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